Shaman King Road Trip
by Keitorin Asthore
Summary: The Shaman King gang go on a merry journey to...DISNEY WORLD! Yup, loads a fun.
1. Objective: VACATION!

"Kisama! We are not going to spend a week in Wisconsin!" Ren snorted.  
"But that's where the world's only building made of cheese is!" HoroHoro whined.  
His little sister whacked him on the head. "No. We're going to Hawaii," she said confidently. HoroHoro smacked her butt, which started a new fight. Ren edged away.  
"Chocolate World," Anna said. "I want to go to Chocolate World."  
"Dollywood sounds nice," Tamao ventured.  
"Washington D.C.!" Manta cried. "Think of all the fun we can have researching at the Smithsonian!"  
Silence ruled for a long moment. "Manta, if you say the word 'researching' again, I will take off your head and hang it on the wall as a trophy," Ren said.  
"Yeah! This is summer, and we're supposed to have fun! And nothing says fun like cheese!" HoroHoro cheered.  
"Shut up!" Ren shouted. "I want to go to Russia!"  
"Why?"  
"Cause it sounds cool!"  
The fighting continued as Yoh poked his head in the door. "Um.are you guys still trying to decide?" he asked.  
"YES!" they shouted.  
"Well, I already decided," he said.  
"WHAT?" they shouted.  
"We're going to Disney World."  
"Disney World?!"  
Yoh beamed. "Yup!" he said cheerfully. "Since no one could decide, I decided for everybody! And I wanna go to Disney World! I've made reservations and everything!"  
"I hate you," Anna said, glowering.  
"You don't really mean that, do you, Anna?" Yoh said, his eyes huge.  
"Right now, yes," she growled. "I do NOT want to go to DISNEY WORLD WITH THIS PACK OF IDIOTS!"  
"Oh, yes, you do," Yoh said. "Everybody pack. We're going to the Happiest Place on Earth for a whole week!"  
"It won't be happy after we get our hands on it," Ren muttered. Suitcase Contents:  
  
Yoh: Clothes Music Headphones Music Toothbrush Music Shoes Have we mentioned music yet?  
  
Anna: Clothes Sunglasses (What? That's all that'll fit in her kerchief-on-a-stick.)  
  
Ren: Collapsible halberd Midriff shirts and swishy pants Hair gel Sunscreen His tiger (but if anyone asks, it's not there)  
  
HoroHoro: Nothing (He forgot to pack)  
  
Pilika: Clothes Hairbrush More clothes Camera Even more clothes  
  
Tamao: Shorts and T-shirts Notebooks and pens Ponchi and Konchi  
  
Manta: Laptop Books Dictionaries Clean underwear (his mother packed those for him) 


	2. Onward to the Airport!

"Who decided we were leaving at four o'clock in the morning?" Manta moaned.  
"MINE!" Yoh shouted. "Two hours early for international flights!"  
"But the flight leaves at ten," Manta said.  
"I'm in the dumb math class for a reason, Manta."  
Anna stumbled out of the house, dropped her kerchief-on-a-stick, and plunked to the ground. "So.tired.must.sleep," she murmured. She rested her cheek on her kerchief and was fast asleep instantly.  
Yoh stood over her, staring at his dozing fiancée. "She's sleepy," he commented. "She shoulda had some coffee."  
"Is that why you're bouncing off the walls?" Manta asked.  
"YES!" Yoh cheered.  
"That much caffeine is very bad in the morning, Yoh-sama," Tamao wrote on her notepad.  
The blare of a car horn startled them all- well, except Anna. A big black minivan with tinted windows pulled up. The person riding shotgun rolled down the window. "Hi!" Bailong said. "Are you guys ready to go?"  
"YES!" Yoh cried. He ran and shoved his suitcase, Manta, and Manta's suitcase into the car. Manta was now sandwiched between Ren and HoroHoro, both of which were snoring- in HoroHoro's case, loudly. Pilika was tucked between the window and her big brother. Tamao climbed in the back, hugging her suitcase tightly. "All ready to go!"  
"Hold on," Jun, the driver, interrupted. "You kind of forgot your fiancée." She pointed to the sleeping girl.  
Yoh rolled his eyes and leapt out of the car. "If I have to," he grinned. He slung Anna over his shoulder, carried her to the van, and buckled her in. Her only response was to sigh softly and cuddle against him. Yoh buckled up and put an arm around her shoulder, grinning madly. "I think we're ready now, Jun," he said.  
"If you say so," Jun said, pulling out of the driveway.  
Bailong's knuckles were white. "I didn't know you could drive, Jun," he said.  
"Usually I let one of the jiang-shi drive, but occasionally I do it myself," Jun said, racing through early-morning Tokyo traffic. "Daddy let me borrow the van. It's his least favorite out of all his cars."  
Beside Yoh, Anna stirred slightly. "What the." she murmured. She bolted upright and jumped away from Yoh's arm. "Yoh Asakura!" she screeched.  
"What?" he blinked innocently. "You were sleeping so I carried you into the car."  
Anna edged away from him, her arms crossed and her eyebrows twitching. "Leave me alone," she growled.  
"Allrighty then, Miss Grumpy Pants," Yoh shrugged. He turned up his headphones and got jiggy with it in his own little world. Anna was none too pleased.  
It was nearly an hour's drive to the airport, even with Jun's speed- devil driving. Finally they pulled up to the curb and the barely awake crew tumbled out. Except Ren. He was still sleeping.  
"My poor baby brother," Jun cooed. She pinched his cheek. "Wake up, Lian."  
"Mummy?" Ren yawned.  
HoroHoro snickered.  
"No, Lian, it's Junnie," she said. "Wake up."  
Ren rolled over. "I'll get up in a little while, Mummy. I want Tigey," he mumbled sleepily.  
Even Jun was sniggering. "Ren, you do know the guys are watching you," she said.  
Ren bolted. His hair poked a little hole in the ceiling. "I'm awake!" he shouted.  
"Of course you are," his big sister said, patting his cheek. "You guys go ahead and get the tickets. Bailong and I will take care of the car."  
"Tigey?" HoroHoro smirked.  
"Stuff it, Ainu boy, or I'll rip your lips off," Ren snarled.  
"Ooh, SOMEBODY'S not a morning person."  
Pilika pushed between her brother and her crush. "Stop it, both of you!" she barked.  
"Yes'm," they said meekly.  
"So who's going to get the tickets?" Tamao wrote.  
"Dangit, Yoh thinks he is," Anna said. "Stupid head. He'll end up sending us to Saskatchewan."  
"Hey, they have nice gerbil farms there!" HoroHoro said.  
"And you know that how?"  
"I like gerbils."  
Anna shook her head and ran after her clueless fiancé. "No, Yoh! It's Orlando, Florida, not Orwell, New Jersey!" she shouted.  
Once they had their tickets, it was time to go through security.  
"Hm, this will be some fun stuff," Ren mumbled.  
Yoh, Manta, Anna, and HoroHoro went through easily, HoroHoro of course because he had no suitcase. The security guards, however, were none too pleased with Ren's halberd.  
"This.is.a..WEAPON!" the guard shouted, waving the collapsible halberd. "WE GOT A 2319!! 2319!!!"  
"I need that," Ren insisted. "If you continue to annoy me, I will be forced to use it."  
Jun grabbed her little brother's arm. "Ren, what have I told you about threatening people in public?" she hissed.  
He blinked and smiled sweetly at his big sister. "Only when they make me mad?" he tried.  
"Ooh, sorry! Try again!" Jun said. She spanked him. "Bad Ren!"  
"That was mean!" Ren wailed. "And in front of the guys too!"  
Yoh covered his eyes. "This is scarier than Anna on a bad hair day." He peeked through his fingers at his glowering fiancee. "Not that Anna ever has bad hair days."  
"You're in it deep, Asakura."  
Jun dragged her little brother away, lecturing him about anger management. Pilika passed her stuff and Jun's through the conveyer belt. Then it was Tamao's turn.  
"Do I have to do this?" she wrote.  
The guard squinted at her notepad. "Can't you talk?" he asked.  
"Eh." she squeaked.  
"Just put your suitcase on the belt, miss." Tamao reluctantly set her little pink suitcase on the belt and gave it a tiny tap. It rolled harmlessly down the belt.  
"HEY! THAT TICKLES!!"  
Tamao covered her eyes.  
"IS THAT YOU, PONCHI?"  
"OF COURSE NOT, KONCHI! I'M NOT AN X-RAY!"  
"Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, Tamao?" Anna inquired.  
Tamao's face was pinker than her hair. "They made me take them!" she wailed.  
Anna yanked Tamao's suitcase off the belt, ripped it open and dragged the shrieking spirits out by the ears. "You perverted little twits!" she hollered.  
Yoh tapped her on the shoulder. "Anna, my dear, they're staring at you."  
"Why?" she demanded.  
"Because they can't see Ponchi and Konchi. It looks like you're screaming at Tamao's teddy bear," Yoh said.  
Anna dropped the bear and smiled brightly at the crowd. "Um.I was schizophrenic, but we're much better now," she said.  
Tamao rescued her teddy. "Mr. Bonkers, it's okay," she cooed, kissing the bear between the ears.  
"Hey, what about us?" Ponchi asked.  
"Do we get kisses too?" Konchi said.  
"No," Tamao said firmly. "You have been very naughty. If you don't go right back into my suitcase and be quiet for the rest of the trip, then I will send you back home. Or I'll have Anna send you to the great beyond, either one."  
The tanuki and the fox gulped and dived into Tamao's suitcase. She set Mr. Bonkers inside with a loving pat and latched it. "I'm ready now," she scribbled.  
"Ooookay," Pilika said.  
It was eight-thirty by the time they were done with security- which meant an hour and a half to kill. They split up to go shopping and agreed to meet back when they were getting ready to board.  
  
Yoh: Double Espresso Choco Burst Delites. Three of them. Anna: Shiny Key Chains, Inc. Ren: Sleeping on a bench, sat on several times. HoroHoro: McDonald's Playland Pilika: Junior's Boutique Manta: Bookstore Jun: Still lecturing her sleeping brother Bailong: Currently being loaded onto the plane in cargo  
  
"Flight 2460 to Orlando, boarding now," the intercom crackled. Anna tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on!" she shouted.  
The rest of the gang showed up one by one. "Are we all here?" Jun asked.  
"All except Yoh," Anna said. She cracked her knuckles. "If he's not here in two seconds, I'm-"  
"I'M HERE!!" Yoh shouted, popping up behind Anna. She shrieked and tumbled back, hitting against his chest. He caught her. "Hi!"  
"Leave go!" Anna said. She jumped away from him. "Here are the tickets. Just get on the plane. If you're left behind, then you can go back to Funbari and clean the house."  
Everyone was sure to get on the plane. 


	3. The Plane Ride the very long plane ride

Seating Assignments Pilika and Ren Jun and a perky little redhead she's never seen in her life Tamao and HoroHoro Manta and a very tall blonde girl who keeps giving him weird looks Yoh and Anna Bailong, a Doberman pinscher, and a yappy little Jack Russell Terrier (he's in cargo)  
  
"Somebody switch with me! Or kill me!" Anna moaned. Yoh was grooving to his headphones again, lip synching like mad. She lifted an earphone. "Are you sick or something?"  
He stopped. "I'm grooving! Don't throw off my groove!" he shouted.  
Anna slapped a finger to his lips. "Shut up, you silly boy! Everyone will think you're insane!" she said. Yoh went cross-eyed staring at her finger. She jerked it away. "Go back to your own little universe," she said.  
  
"Are you Japanese?" Jun asked the redheaded girl beside her.  
The girl laughed. It was a strange laugh, a cross between Woody the Woodpecker and Goofy. "No way! I'm from Kentucky!" She smiled brightly. "But what about you? Where do you come from, where are you going, what is your favorite color, do you want to be my new friend?!"  
"Um." Jun stammered. "China..Disney World..emerald green.and you'd probably hurt me if I said no."  
"Great!" the redhead giggled. "I'm Cait! And I'm going to Disney World too!"  
"Spare me," Jun mumbled.  
  
Pilika nudged Ren. "Move over," she said.  
He elbowed her back. "No, you move over," he insisted.  
"You move."  
"You move."  
"You move."  
"You're an imbecile."  
"You're an idiot."  
"Baka."  
"Eejit."  
"Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is about to start taxiing."  
"What does that mean?" Ren asked.  
"The plane's going into the air," Pilika explained. As she said that, the plane began moving rapidly down the runway.  
"Kisama!" Ren yelped. He dug his short fingernails into the armrest. The plane shot into the sky. "Please don't let me die, please don't let me die, please don't let me die."  
Pilika tapped his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked.  
"No!" he wailed. "I want my sister! Or Tigey!!"  
"Who?"  
"Erm.nothing." Ren gripped the armrests harder. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!"  
Pilika patted his hand. "It's okay, Ren. It's safer to fly than to ride in a car. And even safer to fly than to ride in a car when your sister's driving."  
This was not comforting.  
  
HoroHoro beamed. Tamao was sitting next to him, and life was good. "So, Tamao," he said, trying the suave and debonair approach. "Ever flown before?"  
"I like this one," she said.  
"You mean you like this flight, or." he leaned closer ".is it just the company?"  
"I'm not sure about this."  
"It's okay, doll face," HoroHoro said. "I can go slow for you." He leaned even closer.  
"Oh! I've decided now!" Tamao exclaimed.  
"Hm, so it IS the company!" HoroHoro crowed. He was half an inch away from her cheek. He puckered up.  
Tamao turned and lifted her little headphones. "Are you trying to decide which in-flight movie to watch, too?" she asked sweetly, totally clueless.  
HoroHoro slunk down in his seat. "Erm, yeah," he mumbled.  
"I couldn't decide which one- Sinbad or Kangaroo Jack," she said.  
"Yeah, tough choice." HoroHoro glanced down at the screen guide. They had The Matrix. That looked pretty good to him.  
"So I decided that you can watch Sinbad and I can watch Kangaroo Jack, and then we'll switch!" Tamao said, beaming. She reached over and pressed in the buttons. "There you go, HoroHoro-san! Sinbad and the Legend of the Seven Seas, just for you!"  
  
Manta glanced up. "Eh.can I help you?" he inquired politely. The blonde girl had been staring at him ever since he sat down.  
"Are you a midget?" she asked.  
"Just for now," Manta mumbled. "I haven't hit my growth spurt yet."  
The girl stretched her long legs pointedly. "Yeah. I know this girl who's really short. But she's, like, not as short as you are," she said.  
"Okay."  
"And I have this other friend, who's like, even shorter than that other girl, but even she's, like, not as short as you are."  
"Grand hurrah for you," Manta said, turning the page, hoping she would get a clue.  
"And, like, my little brother is in like, fifth grade, and he's like, taller than you."  
  
Poke. "Whatcha doing?"  
"Reading."  
Poke. "Whatcha reading?"  
"A book."  
Poke. "What's it called?"  
"It's called 'I'm About to Murder My Fiancé'." Anna slammed her book shut, neatly pinching Yoh's inquisitive nose in the process. "If you don't shut up, I'm sure I'll be able to write the book," she said.  
"I think you got a paper cut in my nostril," Yoh mumbled.  
"I'm not going to bandage that," Anna said. She opened her book- which was actually titled "Big Yutzes and the Poor Girls Who Love Them- A Dr. Jerry Phil Winfrey Special"- and started back at Chapter Five, which was titled "Learning to Motivate the Big Yutz."  
Poke. "Are we there yet?"  
"No."  
Poke. "How much longer?"  
"About two hours."  
Poke. "Where's the bathroom?"  
"Get out of your seat and walk that way."  
Poke. "Which way?"  
"Open the latch labeled Emergency Exit."  
Poke. "Are you being sarcastic?"  
"I am never sarcastic."  
Poke. "Are you mad at me?"  
"I will be if you keep poking me and asking stupid questions."  
"Oh. Sorry."  
Pause.  
"My mother said there's no such thing as a stupid question."  
"SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE!" 


	4. Arriving at the Carribbean Beach Resort

Twelve hours, six in-flight movies, two in-flight meals, and thirty- six little bags of peanuts later, the gang stumbled off the plane.  
"No.more.Sinbad.too.much." HoroHoro moaned.  
"Are you airsick?" Manta asked.  
"No, but Ren was," Pilika said. "It was gross."  
"Tell me about it," Ren groaned, clutching his stomach.  
Jun patted his head. "Wait until we get to the hotel, sweetie," she said. "I have to go make sure Bailong didn't get left behind in Tokyo."  
Anna counted heads. "HoroHoro, Ren, Pilika, Manta, Tamao, Jun's over there, Yoh.where's Yoh?" she shouted.  
"I think I saw him back there," Tamao wrote. She held up her notebook, then glanced back at it and scribbled an arrow pointing to the left.  
"YOH.hm, he doesn't have a middle name.BARTHOLOMEW ASAKURA!" Anna screamed.  
"Bartholomew? Why not David or John or something? Or something Japanese?" Manta commented.  
The clueless boy was standing in front of a very large clock, looking alternately at the big clock and then at his little watch. "What time is it really?" he asked sweetly. "Should I go with Orlando time, or Tokyo time, or find a happy medium?"  
Anna grabbed him by the arm and dragged him bodily back to where he belonged. "It's time for pain, Yoh Bartholomew Asakura!" she said. "As soon as we get back to the hotel, you're training!"  
"But it's vacation time!" Yoh wailed. Then he stopped. "Did you just call me Bartholomew?"  
"Good news, everyone!" Jun cheered. "Bailong wasn't left behind in Tokyo! He's here, and he's got everyone's luggage!"  
"Now I wish I was back in Tokyo," Bailong muttered.  
"What was that, jiang-shi boy?"  
"Nothing, Jun-sama," he said.  
The gang loaded onto the teeny little monorail. Anna, for some reason, got on last, and by then there was no room left for her to sit.  
"Um." she stammered. "Somebody move over."  
"No such luck," HoroHoro grinned. "You'll have to sit on somebody's lap. Like Yoh's, for example."  
"Eh?" Yoh lifted an earphone.  
"Hey, that's a good idea," Anna said, smiling fiendishly. HoroHoro was currently flopped down on the bench. She perched on his back. "Thanks, HoroHoro."  
"No problem," he grunted.  
  
The little rental car careened into the Caribbean Beach Resort parking lot and screeched to a halt.  
"I think I'm going to barf," Manta moaned.  
"Well, I feel like it, but I can't because I haven't eaten anything in seventeen years," Bailong said.  
Jun whapped him on the leg. "Don't whine. You have to go unload the car," she ordered. "Don't make me get my talismans."  
"Okay, okay," he surrendered, squishing out of the car.  
Pilika, Manta, Anna, Yoh, Ren, and HoroHoro were smashed together in the backseat.  
"Move your elbow," the latter said, Ren's elbow stuck up his nose.  
"Ouch! That's my spleen you just poked."  
"I thought it was my spleen."  
"Kisama! I know my own guts, and that was definitely MY gut you just mutilated."  
"Wanna take this outside, spike head?"  
  
"I would if I could!"  
"Oh, shut up, all of you!" Anna planted two well-aimed kicks on their respective derrieres. They shot out of the car like greased watermelons and splatted on the pavement.  
"Thanks, Anna!" Pilika said, leaping nimbly out and using Ren and HoroHoro as stepping stones to the sidewalk.  
"Welcome," she beamed.  
They walked up to the lodge- Ren and HoroHoro with considerable gravel burn on their exposed skin. "Ouch, my midriff," Ren moaned.  
"Where's Yoh?" Anna said. "Did he wander off again?"  
"I think I see Yoh-sama over there," Tamao scribbled.  
"And he's talking to ELVIS!" Pilika squealed. She sprinted over to Elvis and brandished a pen. "Will you sign me?"  
Elvis grinned. "Sure, baby," he said, scrawling something on Pilika's arm.  
"R-Ryu?" she stammered. "Shouldn't you sign 'Elvis'?"  
"He's not Elvis, dear child. Just as this gorgeous blonde creature believes me to be her fiancée," Yoh grinned.  
Anna let go of him, letting him fall into the potted fern. "Ew, Hao," she screeched. "Why are you here, and where is Yoh?! Did you swallow him again?"  
"I'm right here, Anna," Yoh said. "I just went ahead and checked us all in. Bailong was kind of eager to get rid of our suitcases. I don't know why."  
She poked his chest. "Hm.are you really Yoh?" she asked. "Or are you really Hao?"  
Yoh blinked. "Um.I don't have long hair, unlike Rapunzel here, and I don't have pierced ears. See?" He showed her his unblemished earlobes.  
Anna looked closely at them. "I see now," she said. She pinched his ear. "Who else did you invite without my.I mean our knowledge?!"  
"Ryu, Hao, Lyserg, and Jeanne," Yoh said. "Can you let go of my ear now?"  
"Oh. Sorry," Anna said, letting go. He joined his twin in the potted fern.  
"You're on my liver, little brother."  
"Apologies."  
"Hi, guys!" Lyserg walked up to them, dressed in bright pink Hawaiian- print swim trunks. Jeanne was clinging to his hand, wearing a pale lavender one-piece swimsuit. "They've got a really nice pool here!"  
"That's nice," Ren said, "but I'm tired. Where are the rooms?"  
"Well," Jeanne said, "we have rooms, but we don't know how we're going to divide them up."  
"What do you mean?" Manta asked.  
"Thirteen people. Four people per room. We have three rooms reserved," Lyserg said. "The math doesn't add up right."  
"Let's draw straws," Ryu suggested. "We can decide rooms, and then decide beds."  
"Okay!" HoroHoro said, digging in his pocket. "I got the straws!"  
  
Room Assignments: Room 304 Yoh and Anna  
Lyserg and Jeanne Room 305 HoroHoro and Pilika  
Ren and Jun Room 306 Bailong and Tamao  
Ryu and Manta  
  
"I am not sharing a room, much less a bed, with Yoh," Anna grumbled.  
"Why not? You'll have to in a couple of years anyway.for the rest of your mortal life," HoroHoro said.  
"Spare me," Anna muttered, stomping off towards the room.  
"I just have this feeling that we forgot someone," Manta mused.  
"Don't worry about me. My butt is permanently stuck in this potted plant. I'll be fine," Hao said with a wave of his hand. "Go on, you guys. I'll spend the next few hours learning how to walk again."  
"Oh, in that case, okay," Ren said. The group started walking down the their rooms.  
"I was joking, you guys. You guys? Hey, where'd everybody go?!" 


	5. POOL TIME!

They decided that it was too late to go to the park that night, so they hung out at the hotel pool. Besides, the jet lag was starting to get to them all. Except Yoh.  
"Look!" he screeched, running to Anna with a mug in his hand.  
"What am I looking at?" she asked. She didn't even bother to move from her poolside chair.  
Yoh shook the mug. "You can buy the mug, and then get all the soda you want!" He shook the mug even harder, splashing drops of Code Red Mountain Dew on Anna's navy batik tankini.  
She sat up and glared at him over the rims of her sunglasses. "No more caffeine for you," she said. "You have had way, way, way too much. All it's going to do is make you hyper, and then make you have to go to the bathroom. Often. And I'm forced to share a bed with you tonight."  
"Okay," Yoh said, running to obey Anna and dump out his soda.  
"And get me a smoothie while you're up," she called.  
"Ooh, one for me too!" Pilika squealed.  
"I don't think he heard you," Anna said.  
Pilika rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'll just get one myself," she said, jumping out of the pool and shaking the water droplets from her long, pastel blue ponytail. She jammed her sandals on her feet and clomped over to the poolside stand. That's when she realized that the strap of her pink halter top swimsuit was coming loose.  
"Ahem." A teenage boy with blonde hair, golden skin, big blue eyes, and very white teeth smiled at her. "Can I give you a hand?" he asked.  
"Sure," Pilika blushed. The boy tied her swimsuit ties in a cute, perky bow. "Arigato. I mean thank you."  
"You're Japanese?" he asked. "Cool. I lived there for a couple of years. I live in Australia now."  
"I'm from the Ainu tribe," Pilika said shyly.  
"Ainu. I've heard of them," he said, lapsing easily into Japanese.  
"HEY!" HoroHoro screeched, running over. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER!"  
"Talking?" the surfer boy said.  
HoroHoro grabbed his moon-eyed sister around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. "You will not be talking to Pilika AT ALL! You may not come near Pilika AT ALL! You may not breathe the air where Pilika is breathing AT ALL!" he screamed. "Come, little sister."  
"He's so pretty," Pilika mumbled, waving at the surfer boy.  
"It's bad enough that Spikey likes you. Now you have to go and get a punky surfer to fall in love with you," HoroHoro said. He dumped his shrieking sister in the pool, splashing Tamao, who had just come outside.  
"Are you okay, HoroHoro-san?" Tamao asked.  
"She's so pretty," HoroHoro mumbled. Tamao was wearing a sunny yellow tankini, and her short pink hair had been drawn up into two little-girl pigtails. "I mean, yeah, I'm okay."  
"I'm glad," Tamao smiled.  
"HoroHoro, close your mouth," Ren hissed. "The flies are coming in."  
"No kidding," HoroHoro wheezed. "Actually, I think that was a ladybug. I'll be right back." 


	6. MGM Part One

The gang met in Room 304 to discuss their plans for the next day. "We're going to MGM," Anna decided.  
"Why?" Manta said.  
"Because I said so," she said.  
"Goody!" Ren exclaimed. "I want to see the Muppets!"  
"There are Muppets there?" Anna squeaked.  
Yoh suddenly shushed everyone. "I think I heard something," he hissed. Quietly he tiptoed to the door and swung it open.  
A girl dressed in black spy clothes was crouched by the door, holding a microphone up. "Oof!" she squeaked.  
"Um...who are you?" HoroHoro asked.  
The girl jumped up, hiding the mic behind her back, and stuck a fanfiction.net membership card in their faces. "Rekari Asakura," she said. "Author of 'Where Are They Going?'. It's one of my stories."  
"And what are you doing here? With a microphone? And a tape player?" Pilika took it from Rekari's hands and hit the play button.  
"Goody! I want to see the Muppets!" squealed Ren's recorded voice.  
Ren blushed. "Can we destroy that?" he asked.  
Anna took the tape and stepped on it. "Stop spying on us," she said.  
No one can resist Anna's evil glare. Rekari ran away, screaming in fear at the evil look. "Copycat! Copycat!" HoroHoro singsonged.  
"Good riddance," Anna said. "Now...about MGM. We are not going to see the Muppets."  
It was only eight-thirty when they went to bed, but they were all suffering from jetlag to the extreme. They were so jetlagged that Lyserg and Jeanne were unconscious as soon as they flopped down on their bed.  
Yoh and Anna were another story, however. The bed, although soft and fluffy, had a disturbing dip in the middle. Thus they spent the entire night rolling into each other.  
Yoh woke up in the middle of the night feeling something soft and warm pressed against him. He blinked sleepily, trying to figure out what it was, and realized with a start that it was Anna. She was curled up in a tiny ball, her head resting against his chest. Yoh tried to edge away, but she snuggled closer. Finally he gave up, pulled the blankets around her, and fell back asleep.  
  
It was early the next morning when the gang met in the cafeteria to eat breakfast. Yoh braved Anna's wrath and filled his mug with Pepsi. She was not amused.  
"...and do you know what I'm going to do with you?" Anna shrieked.  
"Let go of my collarbone and stop yelling because people are giving you funny looks?" Yoh suggested. Anna muttered under her breath and let him just drink the stupid Pepsi.  
"Are we all set for our day of fun?" Lyserg asked.  
Jeanne frowned. "Fun. Is fun permitted by the X-Laws? I must contact Marco and inquire about it-"  
She started to get up, but Lyserg caught her around the waist. "Come back," he said. "It's okay to have fun."  
"If you say so," Jeanne said, batting her long lashes.  
"Tamao, are you okay? You don't look like you had enough sleep," Jun said.  
Tamao was scowling like there was no tomorrow. "No, I didn't! Bailong kicks! Curses on those stupid straws!" she snapped.  
"Whoa. Touchy," Ryu said.  
"YOU BET I AM!" she said.  
HoroHoro reached over and patted Tamao's knee. "It's okay, babe. We can switch around the arrangements, just for you," he said.  
Instantly Tamao's eyes dropped. "I'm being selfish," she wrote. "I am very ashamed of myself."  
"Don't be," Yoh said. "You're too sweet." He didn't notice the jealous death-glare Anna sent in Tamao's direction.  
"WAIT!" HoroHoro yelled.  
"What? You found your train of thought?" Anna asked.  
"No! I lost my baby sister! My parents are gonna KILL ME!" he shouted, turning red in the face. "PILIKA! PILIKA!" He ran around the food court, shouting his sister's name.  
"I am so glad I'm not related to him," Ryu said.  
HoroHoro finally found his sister. She was still standing by the drink machines, talking to the surfer boy. "What have I told you about talking to strangers, Pilika!" he demanded.  
"He's not a stranger. His name's Orlando," she sighed. "Isn't he cute?"  
"Do you really want me to answer that, Pilika?"  
"I guess not."  
The gang was watching from their table. "Looks like Pilika has herself a boyfriend," Hao said.  
"How cute," Jeanne said.  
Ren stared at his plate. So Pilika had a new love.  
His sister tapped his shoulder. "What's wrong, Ren?" she asked. "You're not eating." There were questions in her eyes, but he didn't feel like answering them.  
"I'm not hungry anymore," he mumbled.  
It turned out he didn't need to answer any questions. Jun knew just by looking at her baby brother. She reached over and squeezed his arm.  
"Okay, I'm bored," Ryu announced.  
"Time for MGM!" Hao said. "Come one, come all! The bus is leaving soon!"  
The Mankin gang piled onto the shuttle, their stuff heaped around them. "Come on, everybody!" Manta said. "Disney singalong!"  
"It's time to play the music!" Ren started promptly. "It's time to light the lights! It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show Tonight!"  
"No Muppets," Anna said. "No, no, no. I had a bad experience with Muppets as a child."  
Hao whipped out a notebook. "I'm a psychologist. Tell me your problem," he said.  
"Since when are you a shrink?" Anna asked skeptically.  
"Come on, babe. I've been living for centuries. Besides, you can get any degree at home off of the internet. So, problem?"  
Anna sighed. "When I was two years old, my great-aunt Bertha gave me a stuffed Gonzo for Christmas. I was so scared of its giant nose I screamed, slammed the lid on the box, and refused to look at it. And I now hate all Muppets," she explained.  
"You have a Great Aunt Bertha?" Yoh asked.  
"Had. She disappeared in a tragic sky surfing accident." Silence. "What? She was a very active old lady."  
On that note, the shuttle pulled into the parking lot. "Okay! Everyone, get their passes from Anna!" Yoh said. "And have a buddy, so you don't get lost."  
"Um, I'm left over," Manta said, waving his hand.  
"That's okay. Amidamaru can be your buddy," Yoh said, pulling out the talisman.  
"Okay! I am now Manta-dono's best buddy!" Amidamaru cheered. "Do we have to hold hands?"  
"No, um, let's skip that," Manta mumbled.  
Yoh turned to Anna. "I take it I'm your buddy?" he said.  
She shrugged. "Whatever. But we are not taking bathroom breaks every few minutes just for you," she said.  
"I wanna go on that ride!" Hao whined. He jabbed a finger at the map. "We're going on this one first."  
Bailong peeked over his shoulder. "The Tower of Terror?" he read.  
"Sounds good to me," HoroHoro shrugged. So they headed over to the far side of the park to go to the Tower of Terror.  
Since it was early, there weren't too many people in line, so they got through the line in under half an hour. They meandered through the long lines of the "former hotel" and talked as loudly as they could, greeting each other effusively each time they passed in the line. The only person who wasn't saying much was Anna. Yoh kept trying to get her excited. "Look, Anna!" he said, pointing to a display. "Isn't that neat?"  
"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled.  
Yoh rolled his eyes. "Did you know that this ride takes you up thirteen stories and then drops you? And it does it more than once," he said.  
"Th-thirteen?" Anna repeated.  
He studied her face. "Anna, your face is white," he said. "Are you all right?"  
"I'm f-fine," she said, not meeting his eyes.  
"Anna," he said, warning. "Look at me and tell me what's wrong."  
She took him by the arm and leaned on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "I don't like rides with big drops," Anna confessed quietly.  
Yoh touched the back of her hand. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" he asked.  
She dropped her hand. "No one will let me hear the end of it," she whispered. "I'll go on it. I'll be okay."  
Yoh shook his head. "Hey, guys," he called. "I don't think I'm up to going on the ride. I'll just wait outside." He grabbed Anna's hand. "Come on, buddy." Anna's jaw dropped. "Play along," he whispered in his ear.  
"I can't believe you're so chicken," she snapped out, her mouth scowling but her eyes lighting up. "Come on. We're going."  
Yoh didn't let go of her hand until they burst out into the sunshine. "You're an excellent actress, Anna," he laughed, plunking down on the curb to wait.  
Anna didn't sit. She twisted her fingers and stared at the pavement. "Yoh...thank you," she said.  
Yoh leaned back and grinned up at her. "What are fiancés for?" he asked. "Now, come and sit with me. It could be a long wait."  
Meanwhile, on the ride...  
The members of the Mankin gang were preparing to get buckled in. "Oh, dear. I'm very sorry, but the toddler in your party is too short to ride this ride," the attendant said.  
"Toddler? Where?" Manta asked, looking around. "I don't see- oh, dangit." Huffing and snorting in distaste, he thunked away.  
"Wait! Buddy-dono!" Amidamaru hollered.  
The rest of them piled onto the ride, and the car started to move out of the station. Lyserg glanced over at his seatmate. "You ready to rock, Jeanne?" he grinned.  
She cocked an eyebrow. "Rock? I am not familiar with this term," she said.  
"It means have fun," Lyserg explained. "You're don't need to be so serious, Jeanne. Loosen up."  
"Loosen up?" Jeanne repeated. "I-"  
"Oh, Jeanne," Lyserg said, exasperated. "Lighten up. Be happy! Be really really happy!"  
"But I-"  
Suddenly Lyserg leaned over in the seat and kissed her.  
And, out of evil and terrible luck, the car dropped at the exact same time.  
"BWAUGH! BWAUGH! BWAUGH! BWAUGH!" HoroHoro shrieked. Tamao clutched his arm, while Jun and Pilika squealed in delight.  
Only Ren was nonplussed. "It's nothing," he scoffed. At least, that's what he claimed until they were all off the ride and outside. Then he was found leaning over a trashcan.  
"Ew..." Ryu said, looking a bit greenish himself as he watched Ren hurl.  
"Chronic motion sickness," Jun shrugged, patting her brother's back. "Believe me, when you've lived with him for thirteen years, you get used to it."  
"Um...do I want to know what happened to Lyserg and Jeanne?" Hao asked.  
"Ow...ow...ow..." Lyserg moaned. His lips were puffy.  
"I think that kiss was unsuccessful," Jeanne mumbled.  
"I tried to kiss her, but we kind of hit heads," Lyserg said, his shoulders slumping. "I'm dumb..."  
And then Jeanne leaned over and kissed his cheek. He brightened instantly. "Maybe not so dumb..."  
"Hey! You guys have fun on the ride?" Yoh chirped, jogging over with Anna at his heels.  
"You come back here, Yoh Bartholomew Asakura!" she yelped. "That's my Mickey ice cream, and you know it! You already ate yours!"  
"No! Mine! Mine!" he shouted, running in circles around the rest of the gang as Anna chased him.  
Ren straightened up. "Whew," he mumbled. "That was unpleasant."  
"Hey, you okay?"  
"Yes! Fine!" he said, trying to look cool in front of Pilika.  
"Okay, then," she grinned. "Let's go on that ride again!"  
Ren clapped a hand to his stomach. "No, thank you," he said firmly.  
"How about we split up and meet back later?" Hao said.  
"I already thought of that," Anna said. "See? I got Fastpasses for everybody. We'll meet at the ride at six o'clock."  
"What ride is it?" Manta asked, taking his ticket.  
"Ooh! Goody! Little Mermaid!" Ryu shrieked. "I LOVE the Little Mermaid!"  
"Please don't say that ever again," Lyserg said.  
  
Author's Note: Rekari Asakura, wherever you are, PLEASE don't steal any more of my story!! *cries* Oh, and the thing about Anna and the stuffed Gonzo...yeah, that happened to me. Only it was a giant stuffed Abu with the BIGGEST eyes I had ever seen. And now I can't stand monkeys... 


End file.
